Carrier



June 13, 1%? M, L LYDA D 3,324,501

CARRIER Filed April 16, 1965 3,324,561 CARRIER Martin L. Lydard, Ellicott City, MtlL, assignor to Eastern Products Corporation, Baltimore, Md, a corporation of Maryland Filed Apr. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 448,681 3 Claims. (Cl. 16--87.4)

The present invention relates to drapery hangers or carriers for traverse rods, and particularly to an improved drapery hanger or carrier that will maintain the top hem or heading of the drapery vertical.

Some drapery hangers of known construction permit the top hem or heading to extend outwardly at an angle from the vertical. Others attempt to overcome this unclesirable condition by providing two vertically spaced holes in the hanger to receive the one leg of the drapery supporting hook. These latter constructions are difficult to use because the leg of the drapery hook that must be threaded through the vertically spaced holes is in back of, and is hidden by, the drapery heading.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a drapery carrier for a traverse rod that will maintain the drapery heading in vertical alignment with the remainder of the drapery when the drapery is stationary as well as during its movement along the traverse rod.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a drapery carrier in which the rear leg of the drapery hook is easily attached to the carrier.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a drapery carrier in which the carrier supports the drapery hook in a manner permitting its angular movement within the carrier.

In one aspect of the invention, a drapery carrier may comprise a channel-shaped member including an upper vertical back portion, an arm portion intermediate its ends, and a lower portion extending vertically downwardly from the outer end of the arm portion.

In another aspect of the invention, the arm portion and vertical upper portion are joined by a sweeping curve to eliminate stress concentration at the connection between the two.

In still another aspect of the invention, the walls forming the channel-shaped back of the body generally follow the curve joining the arm and back upper portion, but extend down to the bottom of the lower vertical portion. Suitable reinforcing ribbing is provided between the walls of the channel construction.

In a further aspect of the invention, the vertical lower portion is in the form of a semicylindrical, trough-like member, at the top of which a substantially horizontal ring portion is provided for the reception of the one leg of a drapery hook.

In a still further aspect of the invention, a track engaging member may be integrally attached at the front of the upper end of the vertical upper member, and it may be spaced from the back member sufficiently to pro vide a space for the reception of the track of a traverse rod.

In still another aspect of the invention, the drapery carrier may be made of a high density polyethylene for strength, lightness and to possess a facility for sliding along a track member of the traverse rod with a minimum of friction.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a drapery supported by a carrier embodying the principles of the invention;

3,324,501 Patented June 13, 1967 FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the drapery carrier of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back elevational view of the carrier shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows along line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing another form of the carrier.

The ornamental design aspects of the traverse rod shown in FIG. 1 do not form a part of the present in vention but are more fully described and are claimed in the copendin g design patent application of Harry S. Rosen baum filed concurrently herewith. The functional aspects of the traverse rod of FIG. 1 and those features of the herein illustrated carrier which cooperate with the track of the traverse rod are not a part of the present inven tion but are described and claimed in the copending patent applications of Henry Znamirowski filed concurrently herewith.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a drapery carrier 10 of generally channelshape, including spaced walls 11, 12 joined by suitable reinforcing ribs 13. Although the carrier 10 may be made of any suitable material, preferably it is made of a high density polyethylene or the like.

Carrier 10 may include a vertically extending upper portion 14 joined to an arm portion 15 intermediate of the length of the carrier by a smooth curve 16. A lower portion 17 extends vertically downwardly from arm portion 15, and the walls 11 and 12 of the channel-shaped body sweep downwardly along a smooth curve 18, terminating at the bottom and forward point of portion 17.

Portion 17 may comprise a ring 19 at the forward end of arm portion 15, and an integral semicylindrical troughlike portion 20 depending from ring 19 to the bottom of the carrier 10. The construction and arrangement of the parts are such that with a conventional hook 21 pinned into the heading 22 of a drapery, the leg 23 of the hook is hidden from view when looking toward the traverse rod. However, since ring 19 is of a much greater diameter than that of leg 23, the latter can easily be threaded through ring 19 so that its leg 23 rests against the back wall 20A of the semicylindrical portion 20. The action of. the back wall 20A of portion 20 against leg 23 of hook 21 prevents the pivoting of hook 21 about the top front edge of ring 19 and thereby maintains the head 22 of a drapery in vertical alignment with the main portion of the drapery below the hook 21. Furthermore, the construction of the ring portion 19 and semicylindrical portion 20 permits the hook 21 to turn angularly about the longitudinal axis of leg 23, facilitating the action of the carrier 10 and hook 21 during movement of the carrier along a traverse rod.

In order to support the carrier 10 on a traverse rod track, a track engaging member 24 is integrally joined to the top of portion 14. In the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1, it is shown as a disk 25 joined to portion 14 by a cylindrical portion 26. The spacing between disk 25 and portion 14 is such that in use, the surfaces 27 and 28 on disk 25 and portion 14, respectively, contact parallel surfaces of the track simultaneously, thereby maintaining carrier 10 in position on the track of the traverse rod such that the semicylindrical portion 20 at all times remains substantially in a vertical position.

Referring to FIG. 4, it is apparent that the drapery hook 21 has a wide range of pivotal movement, i.e., from in contact with one edge 29 of the semicylindrical portion 2% to the edge 30 thereof. This freedom of pivotal movement of the hook 211 about the longitudinal axis of leg 23 reduces the stress in arm 15 of the carrier 10 during traversing of the drapery along the traverse rod 3 by reducing the moment of force acting on carrier 10 at the point 16 during drawing of the drapery.

Referring to FIG. 5, a modified form of the drapery carrier is disclosed. It is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 2, except that its head 31 includes a track engaging member 32 that is designed to act on the inner track of a double, spaced track 32A of a telescoping traverse rod as shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the track engaging means 32 comprises a spoollike member including disks 33 and 34 joined by a core 35. Furthermore, the spool-like member is connected to the upper portion of the carrier by a cylindrical portion 36. The arrangement is such that the portion 36 offsets the spool-like member so that it will cooperate with the inner track of the dual track telescoping traverse rod. The disks 33 and 34 are spaced apart by an amount such that the points 37 and 38, respectively, contact parallel spaced surfaces of the track member to maintain the carrier in position to maintain its semicylindrical troughlike portion vertical as the carrier is moved along the traverse rod.

While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof and in a specific use, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A drapery carrier for receiving and supporting a drapery hook having a drapery engaging configuration at one end and a free leg at the other end; comprising a vertically extending upper section and a forwardly extending arm section integrally joined to said upper section and terminating in a hollow substantially horizontal ring, said ring having an upper surface inclined downwardly toward the front of said ring; a semicylindrical hollow troughlike portion depending from said ring and having a substantially vertical inside rear surface for engaging the free leg of a drapery hook inserted into said troughlike portion through said ring; and track engaging means attached to said upper section of said body portion in spaced parallel relation thereto.

2. A drapery carrier as set forth in claim 1 in which the internal diameter of said ring in a horizontal plane is greater than the internal diameter of said troughlike portion, said ring having a substantially vertical internal rear surface forming an extension of said rear surface of said troughlike portion.

3. A drapery carrier as set forth in claim 2 in which said arm section is joined to said upper section by a smooth curve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,815,526 12/1957 Rosenzweig 16-87.4 2,872,696 2/1959 Perlmutter 16-87.4 3,199,142 8/1965 Salzmann et al. l687.2

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DRAPERY CARRIER FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING A DRAPERY HOOK HAVING A DRAPERY ENGAGING CONFIGURATION AT ONE END AND A FREE LEG AT THE OTHER END; COMPRISING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING UPPER SECTION AND A FORWARDLY EXTENDING ARM SECTION INTEGRALLY JOINED TO SAID UPPER SECTION AND TERMINATING IN A HOLLOW SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL RING, SAID RING HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE INCLINED DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THE FRONT OF SAID RING; A SEMICYLINDRICAL HOLLOW TROUGHLIKE PORTION DEPENDING FROM SAID RING AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL INSIDE REAR SURFACE FOR EN GAGING THE FREE LEG OF A DRAPERY HOOK INSERTED INTO SAID TROUGHLIKE PORTION THROUGH SAID RING; AND TRACK ENGAGING MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID UPPER SECTION OF SAID BODY PORTION IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION THERETO. 